Eleven petrol stations in Rivers State were sealed on Friday following an enforcement exercise by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), in a move aimed at safeguarding consumers and ensuring transparency in fuel sales.
The affected facilities, located across Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt City Local Government Areas, were accused of engaging in sharp practices, including under-dispensing petroleum products and operating faulty pumps.
Victor Owodiasa, NMDPRA’s Regional Coordinator for the South-South, told journalists that the operation formed part of the ongoing “Operation One Litre for One Litre”, a surveillance initiative designed to guarantee that customers receive the exact quantity of fuel they pay for.
“In exercise of our regulatory mandate, we have intensified our surveillance to ensure the general public gets one litre for one litre. Any station found dispensing outside the approved bandwidth will be shut down until the integrity of its pumps is confirmed,” Owodiasa stated.
He added that while some discrepancies may result from mechanical faults, deliberate attempts to shortchange consumers would not be tolerated. Persistent offenders could face licence revocation.
Owodiasa further clarified that the regulations apply equally to both liquid fuel and gas, urging operators to maintain and regularly inspect their equipment. “Cheating the public, whether willful or unwilful, should not happen. Operators are responsible for ensuring their meters function correctly before customers are affected,” he said.
The NMDPRA official stressed the authority’s zero-tolerance stance, warning that future violations would attract severe sanctions.
